The Benefits of Baling Hay in Seven Days?
Can You Really Bale Hay in a Week?
An interesting question! Throughout Australia, many people would say that it’s impossible to bale hay in seven days or less because the hay won’t be cured enough. Often you’ll also hear people say things like, “I wouldn’t put that in my shed!” Or, “We’ll see the smoke from their place soon!”
We’re here to tell you it is possible and safe. We don’t say this lightly. We have over a decade of data to back it up. Times have changed. Hay growers are now doing this all over Australia with huge logistical, time-saving, and financial benefits. These guys are making vetch, cereal, and lucerne hay in a seven-day window and storing it in their sheds. They have monitored temperatures in bales and the bales stay cool and stable. Not only that, the hay is of fantastic quality, and bale weights are heavier than they’ve ever seen before.
The obvious next question, is how?
How to Bale in Seven Days
To bale in seven days, you must manage your hay differently than you have in the past. Here’s a very brief checklist:
Look for a 6-7 day window in the weather.
When cutting, throw it out of the mower conditioner wide (not in a tight row).
Do you have a tedder?
Yes: ted in 22-24 hours then rake on day 3.
No: leave it for 3 days. Another raking then on day 6 or the morning of baling.
Using Hay Guard and a Gazeeka 870, bale on days 6 or 7 up to 18% total moisture.
We recommend leaving cereal hays out for 7 days to settle before putting it in a tight stack
Comments From Hay Guard Users
Viv Cossar - Charlton, VIC
“The benefits for us making hay this way and using Hay Guard in our operation have been seen immediately. It’s allowing us to reduce the time from cutting to baling our hay to as little as six days with both vetch and barley.
“Feed tests have been improved and the visual colour of the hay is outstanding. It also reduces the risk of weather damage as we have been able to get hay into sheds in a shorter period of time.
“Using Hay Guard is allowing us to produce hay in a shorter period of time, reducing some of the stress in the hay-making process. Also, the production of the top-grade hay is allowing us to achieve a premium price which benefits our business financially.
“We think in the current market with an $8 spend, we are getting a minimum $33 per tonne return.”
